A very small artery that connects larger arteries to capillaries and helps control blood flow to tissues.
From French 'artériole' (1690s), a diminutive of Latin 'arteria' (artery). The suffix '-ole' means 'small,' so it literally means 'small artery.' The term was coined as microscopes revealed these tiny blood vessels.
Arterioles are like the traffic lights of your circulatory system—they have muscles that squeeze or relax to control exactly how much blood reaches different parts of your body, which is why your face flushes when you're embarrassed or pale when you're scared.
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